In the Fray
by monocheshaa
Summary: [Role Reversal: Red Hunter!Danny & Halfa!Valerie] The Red Hunter is out for Valerie's ectoplasm, and she's demanding to know why.
1. Chapter 1

**So I saw this (** **naptillmorning. tumblr post/132291618943/its-halloweeeeeeen-bonus) (take out spaces FF since doesn't like linking) and had to do a role reversal with Red Hunter!Danny and Halfa!Valerie, which I'm starting to fall in love with (_._ ')**

 **That means that in this fic, Valerie got zapped by a ghost portal in Axiom Labs while showing Kwan and Star her dad's work, and decided to help ghost hunt as Valerie Wraith. She and Danny were dating, until Danny suddenly got depressed after a battle between Valerie and Cujo, and he broke off the relationship. Red Hunter appeared suddenly and started hunting Valerie, until Val realized that it was Danny in the suit.**

 **Also, Sam moved away because her family needed to move business to Europe, and Tucker transferred to another city after his dad was possessed/mimicked by a ghost (Amorpho).**

 **The idea belongs to naptillmorning and DP doesn't belong to me :) (*intense sobbing*)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Cheshire**

* * *

"What's your _problem_ , Fenton?!" I shouted. I was done with this. Done with being shot at, hunted down, and hurt for no apparent reason at all.

"What's my _problem?_ " Danny growled, his blaster whining as ectoplasm built into it. "My _problem_ , Wraith, is that you _killed my dad._ " He laughed darkly. "And afterwards, you had the _nerve_ to take the form of my girlfriend."

He paused. "Ex-girlfriend."

 _Oh, shit._

It all suddenly clicked. My foggy memory, Danny's sudden depression, why we broke up. The memories from the battle were starting to form.

When Cujo first came from the Ghost Zone, he didn't keep entering into the Living Realm through the Axiom portal like any other ghost; he had a habit of coming out the Fentons' portal too. One day, I was chasing him back to the Zone before we crashed into the Fentons' lab. Cujo raged, transforming into his attack form, and knocked me into a wall. A glass canister full of ectoplasmic waste smashed onto my skull, and Danny's parents came rushing into the lab. I had blearily seen Cujo step on-what I'm guessing was a fault anti-ghost weapon-that set off an explosion. Jack Fenton must've seen me change...and he jumped in front of me. He saved me.

I didn't know he died.

My throat was dry. No quip escaped my lips...or any words, really. My normally incredibly slow heartbeat was now thudding against my chest. I hadn't thought of casualties...I had just left. I just left Danny and his family to mourn.

Alone.

A wave of shame crashed over me. I looked through the Red Hunter's crimson visor into Danny's eyes; so full of rage and hate. God, what had I done...his sweet and gentle baby blues were gone, replaced with sharp icy cyan. The Fentons had every right to hate my guts.

The hiss of the ectogun brought me back to the present.

"So that's why I hate your existence," Danny seethed, aiming it straight at my chest. "And you'll address me as the Red Hunter, ghost girl."

I couldn't do this. I couldn't fight him like this, not now.

So like every other coward who's been accused of murder, I ran.


	2. Chapter 2

"Excuse my language, but that was a dick move, Val," Kwan muttered, knuckles white on the wheel. "Even if he _was_ trying to kill you."

"What could I do? He had me cornered and it's not like I could-"

"What? Apologize? Change to Gray and explain what really happened? Comforted him? There are a lot of things you couldn't done," he interrupted. "Danny's not the kind of guy to stab you in the back."

"Yeah, well, I didn't know he was the kind of guy to get all vengeful and full of hate," I replied bitterly.

Kwan looked at me through the rearview mirror. "Look at it this way. If you lost half of your family to ghosts, would _you_ get all vengeful?"

My eyes widened. "He lost _half his family?_ "

Kwan's expression turned to one of surprise. "You didn't know? His sister, Jazz, was kidnapped and killed by some biker ghost around two years ago...then Jack Fenton happened."

I sat back in my seat.

Kwan pursed his lips. "You've been really out of the loop, haven't you?"

"...Yeah. I thought the worst thing that happened to Danny was his friends moving away and our breakup...didn't know this happened."

A dull, suffocating silence filled the car.

"You were really his saving grace, Val," Kwan said. "He was in a serious depression before you. Went and talked to Ms. Spectra every day, anti-depressants, all that. Then you two started dating."

There was a pause.

"I wonder why he broke up with you."

I stared despondently out the window, the lights blurring together. "...He said he wasn't good for me. That I should find someone better." A thought flicked through my head. "Then the Red Hunter showed up."

Kwan frowned. "I wonder where he got the suit."

That was a no-brainer. "Vlad," I hissed. "That godforsaken suit has DALV Co. written all of it. Axiom's its sister company, so it uses some of the same tech."

The car pulled into the college campus parking lot. "It's probably a prototype, otherwise Vlad would've used it himself," Kwan added. "Five bucks says it came in the mail-"

"Like the Fenton Thermos," I finished. "Whatever he's planning, the Fentons were either in on it or supplied him with some of their tech. I have to figure out what's going on." I climbed out of the beaten Chevy and slammed the door shut. "Thanks for driving me to my night class. Good luck at your game."

Kwan flashed me a crooked smile. "No problem. I'll be back by nine to pick you up, so call me if anything ghostly comes up." He reached over and dumped a cosmetic bag into my hands through the window. "From Dash. He was gonna give them to Paulina but couldn't miss the bus. Mind giving those to her?"

I shrugged. "I'm surprised she even rolled out of bed without her beloved mascara."

"She probably has an emergency stash in her bra," Kwan chuckled. "Alright, I gotta go. Danny's in your night class, right?"

I nodded sullenly.

"Apologize!" he called, pulling out of the lot. I scowled. How could I even approach him at this point?

"And _mean it!_ "

" _Okay,_ Mom!"

* * *

 **Yep, this AU has taken over my life.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, thanks for the reviews guys ^^ I didn't think this thing would get as much attention as it did. I won't usually be updating consecutively (mostly whenever I can sit down and write, which tends to be random), but I found the time to write the next chapter down before I have to rush off and catch up with Phanniemay ~_~'**

 **BUT FIRST:**

 **athorlovesreading: Yes, Vlad is still in love with Maddie, but you'll see how I tie those together soon :)**

 **InvaderJohnny: I've wondered if Val should "borrow" some Fenton tech to counteract the Red Hunter suit, and I'm thinking that it can work ^^ If Red Hunter!Danny turns you off, I'm writing a Valerie Wraith oneshot compilation on the side for random ideas that she and Kwan can't seem to fit into this story.**

 **Thanks for the feedback :) Enjoy!**

 **-Cheshire**

* * *

My Calculus 30 notes were clumsy as I scribbled down about polynomials. My thoughts were on the fritz; Vlad's planning, the fact that I _basically killed someone_ , that someone's son was my ex, who is now after my blood-ectoplasm?-and Vlad was helping him finish the job. God, and other girls' problems mostly revolved around their _prom date_ _?!_

I need a vacation from life.

"Alright, class, time for a group problem. I'll let you pick your partners this time, but if it gets too chaotic, I'm picking them for you," Ms. Dedrick barked, and the class immediately jumped into a flurry. Paulina eyed me prudently before sitting next to Star instead. John immediately started chatting away to Wes, and the rest of the students who I had no social contact with were joined to the hip with their partners.

Except for Danny.

Who was sitting in front of me.

 _Fuck._

He awkwardly turned around in his desk and smiled widely. "Want to be partners?" he asked.

My eyes flicked to the paper. _Karmakarmakarmakarma._ "Yeah, sure. Not like I can solve past number twenty-one, heheh." _Kill me again._

Danny beamed and boosted himself out of the chair, climbing into the desk next to me. "You're talking as if I'm smart enough to get past number one."

"Maybe you are."

He rolled his eyes. "Val, you're talking to a C student. D+, if we're getting hopeful."

I snickered and flicked his wrist. "That why you're retaking Calculus?"

Danny shrugged and doodled a Deadmau5 icon in the margin of his paper. "Among other things."

My smile dropped for a second.

Dedrick tapped the whiteboard to recall the class to attention. "Alright, guys! Open your textbooks to page 405, and set your paper to Cornell notes..."

"We'll share," I whispered, Danny nodding as I pulled out my textbook. A yelp of indignation from Paulina was a nice distraction from the fact that my assassin was sitting next to me and Kwan wanted me to _apologize to Mr. Shoot-First-Ask-Questions-Never_ _and I'm freaking out-_

"You almost broke my nail! Watch it, Star."

"Ms. Sanchez, please keep your first-world problems to yourself while I am giving instructions, please," Dedrick snapped, and Paulina's turquoise eyes grew stormy. "Finish problems one through thirty-five, and remember to show work..."

Danny chuckled beside me and started listing the problems down onto our shared paper. I became engrossed in shuffling through my pencil bag. God, was I supposed to start a conversation? Should I just focus on working and ignore him? I would literally kill to have Skulker bust through the door right now...

"You've been avoiding me lately," Danny murmured, immersed in tracing a 23. I stiffened.

"I thought you wanted me to stay away."

His head snapped towards me fiercely. "I never said that. I said I thought it would be better if we stayed friends."

"That's another word for pushing people away," I replied.

"No, I'm not. Hell, I'm welcome for any social interaction at this point."

"You've gotten angrier," I noted.

His handwriting looped erratically.

"You're hurting, D."

The graphite tip on his mechanical pencil snapped. "Can't figure out number four," Danny muttered, and I swallowed. Sure, yeah. Avoid the subject, man.

"I think it's fifty-four."

"Mhm."

I looked over his concentrated glare, the bit lip. The fire that burned in his eyes wasn't the calm and spirited one that his friends and I were used to; this was a bold, dangerous flame. Something that'd burn people. The courage built into my chest-wasn't like his older sister was there to address his problems anymore. Better step up and be the one to acknowledge it.

"Look, I heard about your-"

A chill suddenly rushed up my spine, and the familiar cold flew through my lips. Goddammit, Boxy.

" _Spooky scary skeletons, and shivers down your spine.._." Danny's phone sang, and he cursed under his breath. Our hands yanked up synonymously.

"Can I go to the bathroom?"

Dedrick sighed, nodding. "Take a pass."

We sprinted out of our seats and rushed to the bathrooms, where I slammed the stall door open and reached into my ghostly core. The white rings washed over my body, and the tight Axiom HAZMAT suit clamped onto my skin. My emerald eyes flared and I shot into the ceiling, phasing out of the building.

Going ghost.


End file.
